Ancient Egyptian Science

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Ancient Egyptian Science

• By
• Madeleine Hall, and Claudine Wall

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MedicineNever did I do anything evil towards
any person - Nenkh-Sekhmet, Egyptian Physician

• Imhotep
• Thought by some to be one of the first physicians
• Author of the Edwin Smith Papyrus
• Included 90 terms of anatomy 48 different
  injuries
• Founded a school of medicine
• Located in Memphis, over 2,000 years before
  Hippocrates
• Believed to be buried in Saqqara but tomb
  location is unknown
• One of the few not of royal birth to be respected
  for his intelligence and religious status
• Architect of King Djosers of the III Dynasty
  Step Pyramid in Saqqara

Imhotep as portrayed by Arnold
Vosloo in The Mummy 1990
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MedicinePeseshet was the only named female
physician and was the overseer of all other
women physicians

• Most doctors were also priests
• Traditionally the position passed from father to
  son
• There were 5 levels of physician
• Senenu - scribes
• Kherep senenu - overseers
• Sau magical physicians
• Shepherd of the Anus of Pharaoh self
  explanatory
• Specialists eyes, mouth, stomach
• Many were versed in how to perform amputations,
  stitching of wounds, surgeries and object removal

• Exam followed the same basic routine we do now
  It included
• Interview with the physician to understand your
  symptoms
• Taking your pulse
• Examine your fluids urine, stool, phlegm, and
  blood
• Testing your reflexes
• The diagnosis the doctor informed you whether he
  would treat you, would spend some more time
  looking in to it, or if it could not be treated
• The prescription was very specific in what to
  take, how much to take, how long and how often to
  take

These were some of the tools by the Ancient
Egyptians practicing surgery in 4000 BC
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MedicineDue to raw minerals getting into bread
Ancient Egyptians had many issues with bad teeth

• The Ancient Egyptians also had
• Dentistry
• Because of the perpetual issues with their teeth
  and mouth they tried many different breath
  fresheners plants mixed with honey,
  frankincense, cinnamon, myrrh
• Family Practice
• They had treatments for contraception,
  fertility, pregnancy tests, and even watching
  your health while pregnant
• Alternative Medicines
• They also used aromatherapy, enemas, massage,
  reflexology and even electroshock therapy
• For the electroshock treatment the physician
  would take the patient to the Nile and have them
  step on an electric eel until they were numb

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AgricultureAncient Egyptians practiced the
concept of crop rotation

• They had 3 agricultural seasons each lasting 4
  months
• Peret meaning emergence was from November to
  March and was the planting season
• Shemu meaning dryness was from March to July
  and was when they harvested
• Akhet meaning inundation was from July to
  November
• During the inundation the Nile River would
  overflow as much as 2 ft in depth on either side
  of its banks

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AgricultureFarmers could not own the land it
was all owned by the King or master

• Because Ancient Egyptians had to deal with
  flooding and drought from the Nile they used
  irrigation and channel methods
• Their first irrigation methods were
  buckets carried by hand
• Eventually they created the Shaduf
  a pole weighted at one end with a
  bucket at the other
• Finally they has the Sakia a water
  wheel they powered with animals

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AgricultureAn Arouras was apprx 40 sq meters2
arouras could feed 1 person for a whole year

• Crops
• Flax
• Emmer
• Wheat
• Barley
• Fava beans
• Chickpeas
• Private Gardens
• Flowers
• Jasmine
• Poppies
• Hyacinth
• Fruits Vegetables
• Melons
• Cabbage
• Lettuce
• Grapes
• Figs
• Spices

• Planting crops was a family affair
• Men used oxen to plow the fields
• Women followed to sow the seeds
• Children ran around scaring off any birds looking
  for an easy meal
• Animals were kept
• Oxen, pigeons, donkeys, ducks, goats, pigs, dogs,
  etc.
• Cattle herds were kept outside the villages
• Every 2 years a cattle census was taken ½ of
  your herd would be sent back to pasture while the
  other ½ was slaughtered

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Astronomy

• Astronomical Worship
• Egyptians had many gods and goddesses
• Certain gods seen in constellations and others
  represented by astronomical bodies
• Osiris was the god of death, rebirth and the
  afterlife
• Goddess Nut giving birth to the Sun god Re is
• portrayed by the Milky Way
• Stars represented goddess of writing
• Moon meant the either Thoth or Khons
• Horizon important to Egyptians
• Sun represented several gods, depending on its
  position
• Reflected typical Egyptian idea of immortality

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Astronomy

• Astronomy for use in daily life
• Nile center of Egyptian life
• Flooding provided rich soil for agriculture
• Priest were the Egyptian astronomers
• Realized flooding happened during summer solstice
• Priest were able to predict the flooding
• This rendered them considerable power
• Calendar divided into twelve, 30 day months
• This was followed by a five day feast period
• Calendar had no leap year
• Took 1460 years to cycle through the seasons
• Elapse time known as sothic cycle
• Buildings built to corrulate with an astronomical
  orientation

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Astrological Terms

• Merkhet- instrument of knowing
• Sighting tool made of palm leaf
• Similar to an astrolobe
• Usually correct within a few degrees
• Developed in 600 b.c.
• Used to measure time
• Star Clocks
• Earliest detailed text relating to astronomy
• Also known as diagonal calendars
• Painted on wooden coffin lids
• Flawed in that the Egyptian calendar was off
• Had a shortcoming of ten days every fourty years

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Mathematics

• Developed base 10 numeration system in 2700 bc
• Not well suited for arithmetical calculations
• Ahmes was a scribe that solved complex
  mathematical problems
• Also known for Rhind Mathematical Papyrus
• Calculations used in surveying, trade and
  building
• pyramids

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Mathematics

• 1 is shown by a single stroke. 10 is shown by a
  drawing of a hobble for cattle. 100 is
  represented by a coil of rope. 1,000 is a
  drawing of a lotus plant. 10,000 is represented
  by a finger. 100,000 by a tadpole or frog
  1,000,000 is the figure of a god with arms
  raised above his head.
• http//www.discoveringegypt.com/numbers.htm

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References

• Booth, C. (2007). The Ancient Egyptians For
  Dummies (For Dummies (History, Biography
  Politics)). New York For Dummies.
• Dunn, J. (n.d.). Egypt Imhotep, Doctor,
  Architect, High Priest, Scribe and Vizier to King
  Djoser. Retrieved July 12, 2009, from
  http//www.touregypt.net/featurestories/imhotep.ht
  m
• Jackson, K., Stamp, J. (2003). Building the
  Great Pyramid. Toronto Firefly Books.
• The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy.
  Michael Hoskin, ed. Cambridge University
  Press,1997.
• Springer-Verlag and Hugh, Thurston. Early
  Astronomy, New York, Inc. 1994
• Author Sara Moldaschel
• http//www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Indexes/Eg
  yptians.htmlSchool_of_Mathematics_and_Statistics
  University_of_St_Andrews,_Scotland JOC/EFR
  April 2008